FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 2, 2016
CONTACT: Ori Korin
TWU-Represented Aircraft Dispatchers Reach Agreement with Frontier Airlines
Late Tuesday evening, Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 540 and Frontier Airlines reached a tentative agreement for the TWU-represented aircraft dispatchers at the airline. The two sides have been negotiating an agreement for nearly five years and have been in mediation for more than three years.
Believing they were at an impasse, in early November TWU requested the National Mediation Board proffer binding arbitration on the outstanding issues. If either the company or the union denied the arbitrator’s decision, then under the Railway Labor Act (which governs the airline industry) the union would be able to strike.
“We are pleased that we were able to hammer out an agreement that recognizes the critical work the dispatchers perform on behalf of Frontier Airlines,” said TWU International Vice President Gary Shults, who helped negotiate the deal. “It has been a challenging time for our members, who have suffered through bankruptcy, being acquired by Republic Airlines Holdings and now with Frontier back on its own. We believe the agreement is something our members can be proud of and a foundation on which to build, while allowing the airline to grow its business model.”
TWU Local 540 will be meeting with its members next week to announce the terms and look for a speedy ratification before the busy holiday travel season.
The dispatchers at Frontier Airlines are FAA-certified and work in the System Operations Control center in Denver, CO.